This and that 2/18/03 Part 1
Jaime Jeske
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
People by Andrew Pierce
The reign in Spain . . .
IT MIGHT be the second most famous monarchy in Europe but the fact seems
to have been overlooked by Jeb Bush, the Governor of Florida, better
known as the US President's younger brother.
Bush is to lead an 80-strong delegation to Spain to bolster trade links
with Florida. But his prospects are not looking good.
After lunch yesterday with José María Aznar, the Spanish Prime
Minister - and one of President Bush's staunchest EU allies on Iraq -
the Florida Governor made a short speech. "I want to thank the President
of the Republic of Spain for his friendship with the United States. I
know this is a difficult situation in the short term," he said.
Fortunately, King Juan Carlos was nowhere to be seen.
Since Dubya's brother owes much of his success in Florida to the support
of Hispanic voters, he had better hope that next time there is a
gubernatorial ballot, the electorate do not get their Bushes confused.
Scene and heard: Nicole Kidman, who has received her second Oscar
nomination, suffers from stage fright. "Every time I start a film I
think, 'I can't act'. I've tried to pull out of almost every one I've
done because of sheer terror," she said in an interview with Radio
Times. Nor does she always get support from her parents, who refused to
cancel their bush-walking holiday to accompany her to the Oscar awards
last year when she was nominated for Moulin Rouge!
"My mother keeps telling me to call it quits. She thinks my nature is
too fragile for acting. She'd love it if I was a writer and had a more
secluded life." After seeing Kidman in The Hours, your columnist feels
her mother may be right.
"The New York Times"
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
BOLDFACE NAMES
If the Show's a Snooze, There's Always the Mets
By JOYCE WADLER, with Marc Santora
So why was the black-tie party for the opening of the Matisse and
Picasso exhibition given in Manhattan when the paintings are at the
Museum of Modern Art's temporary space in Queens?
Is the subtext that you can demand only so much of people? Or that with
the Lemon Ice King of Corona on reduced winter hours, why schlep?
The party, anyway, was held at the Atrium, on Madison Avenue, on
Wednesday. Guests included CARROLL PETRIE, RONALD LAUDER, MORLEY SAFER,
CHUCK CLOSE, VERONICA HEARST (wearing an impressive pair of
emerald-and-diamond drop earrings), and CHRISTO with his wife and art
partner, JEANNE-CLAUDE. She has an electric mane of PATRICIA FIELD red
hair and wears bright clothing. He was more subdued in grays and blacks.
It is our impression, based on merely one incident, that she is his
YOKO. Speaking to the couple last year before Christo's plans to erect
saffron banners throughout Central Park had been approved, we asked
about his idea to "wrap" the park. He said nothing.
Jeanne-Claude, very annoyed, grabbed our arm, and said they did not wrap
anything.
Also attending were a number of Matisse and Picasso family members,
including SOPHIE MATISSE, the great-granddaughter of the artist, who
lives in New York, and DIANA WIDMAIER-PICASSO and OLIVIER
WIDMAIER-PICASSO, whose grandmother was the Picasso muse MARIE-THÉRESÈ
WALTER.
Mr. Widmaier-Picasso was asked if there was still fighting among
Picasso's many heirs.
"There is always this huge rumor about fighting between heirs, but in
fact, no," he said.
"From the beginning after the death of my grandfather, there was a
strong spirit of giving the world the best museum, which is the museum
in Paris, the Musée Picasso. But today, as you can see, everybody's
kissing everybody, like probably Matisse did with Picasso." A short
pause. "On the cheeks."
It's Nice No One Is Anxious
What local ink-stained columnist had his publicist call around to say
copies of his unauthorized biography of a top American fashion designer
would be distributed in the street, after the designer's show on Friday?
Which two publicists for the book, one in-house and one out, said the
next day that the designer's security people had asked the young women
distributing books on the sidewalk to cease - until they did, leaving
the block? Or, as the outside publicist put it, "Two very sweet little
girls" had been "menaced by bruisers" who felt the designer "controls
the sidewalk."
A representative for the fashion designer, asked about the alleged
incident, said, "We are not aware of this." Asked if she had spoken to
the security people in question, she repeated, "We're not aware of it."
We resort - as we so often do when life disappoints - to a show tune,
inviting you to sing a lyric from a number that should not have been cut
from the film "Chicago." "Whatever happened to class?"
Master of a New Domain
It was a scene that repeated itself throughout the city. An intrepid
yellow cab driver, from a warmer climate, ventured out into the
snow-swept Manhattan streets only to find himself stuck - tires spinning
but going nowhere. When one such driver found himself in a jam on
Central Park West in front of the Museum of Natural History, none other
than Jerry Seinfeld came to save the day. On his TV show, Mr. Seinfeld
often envisioned himself in the comic-book world of Superman, and
yesterday he got to play the part. He wore an ordinary outfit of jeans,
a black jacket and a baseball cap. Joined by two burly men, he pushed
the driver free.
"I saw he was stuck, and I just thought I'd lend a hand," Mr. Seinfeld
said. Then he smiled, and as quick as he came he was gone.
In a scene straight out of a Superman tale, a man on the sidewalk
shoveling snow yelled to no one in particular: "Jerry Seinfeld, man,
pushing a cab. That's history."
Jaime
Jaime Jeske
news:v55f4ti...@corp.supernews.com...
> It's Nice No One Is Anxious
>
> What local ink-stained columnist had his publicist call around to say
> copies of his unauthorized biography of a top American fashion
designer
> would be distributed in the street, after the designer's show on
Friday?
Michael Gross, author of "Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph
Lauren."
> Which two publicists for the book, one in-house and one out, said the
> next day that the designer's security people had asked the young women
> distributing books on the sidewalk to cease - until they did, leaving
> the block? Or, as the outside publicist put it, "Two very sweet little
> girls" had been "menaced by bruisers" who felt the designer "controls
> the sidewalk."
>
> A representative for the fashion designer, asked about the alleged
> incident, said, "We are not aware of this." Asked if she had spoken to
> the security people in question, she repeated, "We're not aware of
it."
Jaime